Massaging machine



P. HE'MP MASSAGING 'MACHINE oct. zo, 1.931

Filed Oct. 2 Sheets-Sheet l P. L. HEMP MASSAGING MACHINE oct. zo, 193.1.

2 sheets-sheer 2 Filerd Oct. 2l, 1929 Pa ul Z2 Hem/U Witwe/oo as rines-3 of Fig; 1..;

Patented ocuzo, 1931 fffUNiT STATEs BAUL LHEMP, or wINoNA,1ivr`rNNEsoTAm i' f man MnssAGING Macallan Y 'Application mea octoberal', 1929..l seria; 401.181.

lThe invention is related' to massaging machines in which a strap is engaged with the portion lof the bodyto be massaged and is rapidly reciprocated by the machine. It is 5 the principal object of the present invention to provide aunique construction YVuseable with this conventional reciprocatory strap for the purpose ofoperatingV a yplurality of rollers which carry out a kneading actionupon the I0 flesh and .musclesr instead of merelyvibrat- Y ing theskinwithoutany*material massaging 'actiozn'as in the present-day machines@y Y. A further yobject'gis to provide means 'whereby `the roller-carrying device may be 115 ,connected with 'the reciprocatory strap if desiredg'to reciprocate therewith, but under normaly circumstances lmay liestationarily vagainst'the body, with the strap moving over the rollers to rotate'thelatten Y 20 lVVith the foregoingand minor objectsriln view, the rinvention resides in the novelsubject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference topthe accompanying drawings.,

'25 Fig. 1fis an elevationpartly broken away,

`showing the roller-carrying devicefand the l reciprocatory` strap slidably engaged with Seach other.'

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 2-52 yof Fig.` 1, showing the ends o-f the roller ,carrier connected withthe reciprocal tory strap,y they latterlbeing slack between .the two point's of connection.'

1 Fig. .3' isajtransverse sectional View on NF'g. 4 is vaV transverse sectional` view on line 4 4 of Fig,-2.. A "Figa 5 isa fragmentary'elevation 4'showing r-afdierent form of construction. d

Fig. Gis an edge view partly broken away and in section, ofthe construction illustrated Figf' 's an-elevationf partly broken' away and 1nsection showing .a still further form n of construction.

Figs. 8 and 9' are transverse sectional views on lines 8 8 vand 9-9grespectively of. Fig. 7. V1() .is anfelevationlpartly broken away 'l andi/n section illustratingastill furtherrforvm '50 of;con'structiol'L 'i straps. vOne end strap of each vpair ist de- Fig.` 11 `is an edge view Vof the structure u shown in Fig. 10.

' ,Fig.. 12 is a transverse sectional viewonv `l1ne 12-12 of Fig. '10. i

Fig, 13 isvan end elevation of a roller to -65 be mounted eccentrically rather than concentrically.

Fig. 14 'is a' side 'elevation illustratingfa longitudinally convex form of rollerfthis formv andthe. cylindrical e form shown in the l2.60 other views, being merely two of many shapes which may be employed.

In the drawingsbove briefly described,4 denotes the `conventional strap "of a massaging machine, adapted to bev rapidly reciprocated' I b y said machine, while engaged with one portion orv another ofthe body. For use with this conventional strapfliprovidean elonf u gated carrier p-rovide'dwitha plurality of A lieshengaging rollers R and provision is made whereby the strap t and the carrier vC may be directly connected witheachcther for movement inunison, and whereby these parts may be relatively disconnected'soj that the strap will Yslide with respect to thev car- 1.75 jrier, while engaging the rollers R." A nurnber of diferent'constructions Vareshown for ,the carrier C'andthat illustrated in Figs. 1

to 4 will firstbe described. Beforeso doing,y

' however, attention maybe invited to thefacts f. S0

that -ythe rollers/R for any formv of carrier may be of the cylindrical shape shown in most views,V of lthe longitudinally convex form shown in Fig. 14 or of any other desired formation, that said rollers may be mounted S5` Y' concentrically as in most views or eccentrically as in Fig. 13, that these rollers may bev odi vsiredflexible material, the ends of theseV straps being connected byftransversepairs Vof end notedat 16 and the "other at117, these straps i being secured against opposite Sides of the straps by stitching Vor other desired means 18.'V This construction forms a guide at each end `of the carrier G, through which the strap S passes. Additional guide straps 19 are f stitched at their ends to the straps 15 for disless width, the two setsof straps `15V and 2Oy being secured to each other by longitudinally spaced pairs of stitching lines 21 or other desired means. The strap portionsbetweenthe lines 21 of each pair, provide pockets 22 in which the ends of the roller s hafts'23are received as will be clear from Figs. 1 ,and Ihen this construction isfollo-wed, the shafts 23 are preferably non-rotatable and the rollers` R are turnable upon them. Preferably,

`theshafts 23 are shouldered at the ends of the rollers R and washers 24 are engagedwith said shoulders, preventing therollers from rubbing. against theV inner edges of the straps 15 and 20. In` addition. to securing `these straps togetherfby the lines of stitching-21,.

short longitudinal linesoffstitching 25 may bei employed at the outer ends of the shaft- V receiving pockets.

. The device is placed against the' bodyiin such aposition that the rollers R contact therewith, andrwhen the strap- S is reciprocated, it'slidesfreely with respect tothe carrier C but as it is-.in centactwith said rollers,

causes driving of the .latter to effectively lrnead or massage the flesh and muscles.. If desired to drive ,the rollers by body contact instead of by contact-with the strap. S, the ends of the carrier vC may beV connected with said strap S- with slack in the'latt'er between the two points ofK4 connection,` thereby allow- Vingreciprocation of the entire assemblage as a single unit. To permit attainmentof this end, Ihavexshown openingsf26 in theend straps 16--17, capable of. alinement with simi-V lar openings 2:7 in the strap S, so that atie 28 (Figs. 2 and 4) may be passed through the; alined openings.' The openingsV ofthe strap- S are longitudinally spaced apart a greater; distance than those of the carrier` C. Hence, when the two sets-of openings are alined and the4 ties 28.. passed through them and secured, the strap -S will be slack between the two points of connection as illustrated in `Fig. 2,so that it will vnot then Contact with the rollers R and cause unnecessary friction. In Figs. l5 andf, thel side members. 15av of the carrier C are formed of light'metallic links pivot-ed together, the pivots being preferably the ends of the-frollergshafts. Connectedwith these side members l5?, are two U-shaned endlinks 16a, each of which-.is suitably secured to a metallic .guide loop 17zt throughwhich thestrap S passes. `Other guide str'aps: 19a, preferablyofmetalfmay be secured to certain of the links of the side members 15a to engage the side of the strap S opposite the' rollers R. Openings 26a are shown in the loop 17a for registration with similar' openings 27@L in the strap S, allowing connection of the carrier with the strap by use of a tie such as that above described. It may be statedl at this point, that "any desired means other than the openings and ties may be used for connecting the ends of the carrier with the strap-lend, the present disclosure being for illustrative purposes only.

In Figs'. 7, 8 and 9, the .side members 15b of the carrier C are formed of parallel strips of spring metal or other longitudinally flexi- V.ble material. Endloops 17,b similar tothe loops 17a may be secured to the` ends of the strips B toslidably receive the; strap, S',. and

intermediate guides-may be. employed.` if -desired. In this construction, the. ends: of ,the

rollershafts are secured rivets orthe like 2lb, to the strips 151. In the end, loop 1'7?,

vand in the strapfS openings26l` and 27` have been shown to receive atie suchas28above Y described. A Q. Y v f Y In Figs.'10tof12`, theside; members 15 of the carrier C, are in the `form of resilient wires having their ends securedlat `.189V to.v transverse en d loops 17C. which be considered as substantiallyidentical with, the. loops 171. At spaced points, the wiresvl'ehlcarry appropriate bearings 21'.c forthe ends ofthe roller shafts,and these-shafts mayeitherv rotherewithor the strap may reciprocate with respect to the carrier, Vas may bemost desirable, and in either instance, the rollerswill' produce effective massaging and kneading actions upon the surface fleshV and alsoupon the deeply seated muscles, `providing amore thorough massaging action than that ob- ,T

tained with the mere reciprocation ofia strap or the like lying against the skin. Moreover, there is less danger of cha-ling the flesh and causing soreness. l i

If desired, instead of connecting the, device with theV strap S as seen nFi'g. 2, its ends may be connected with two short straps correspondingv to the end portions of 'said' Vstrap Sin Fig. 2, for the intermediate portion of said strap- Sv is slack andcould well .be omitted. Y.

1. A device-,oftheclassdescribed comprisinga reciprocatory strap,a ,plurality of rollers disposed transversely atonefsidebf and ;A

vUl

being adapted to contact with said strap-5 and alongitudinally` flexible carrier upon whichY said rollers are mounted for rotation, f said carrier extending longitudinally of said strap and having guides through which said strap passes slidably, whereby reeiproeation of the strap Will drive the rollers. v

2. A device of the class described compris-` ing a reciprocatorystrap, a plurality of rollers disposed transversely at one side of` andl adapted to Contact With said strap, a longitudinally fiexible ,carrier upon which said rollers are mounted 'for rotation, said carrier having guides through which said strap passes, and releasable meansI for connecting the ends of said carrier to said strap Wit slack in the latter between the points of connection, When desirable t0 drive the rollers by body contact instead of by Contact with the strap.

In testimony whereof I have'hereunto afl fixed my signature.

PAUL L. HEMP. 

